Easel construction



Jan. 3, 1956 Filed April 21, 1952 F. T. MORGAN EASEL CONSTRUCTION 2Sheets-Sheet 1 flTownsend iloryan/ INVENTOR.

BY MUM? HTTORNE) Jan. 3, 1956 F. T. MORGAN 2,729,018

EASEL CONSTRUCTION Filed April 21, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E TownsendMorgan I N VEN TOR.

" BY w w- ATTORNEY United States PatentO EASEL CONSTRUCTION FranklinTownsend Morgan, Annapolis, Md. Application April 21, 1952, Serial No.283,431 1 Claim. (Cl. 45-429) This invention relates to easels, and moreparticularly to easels of foldable construction on which a drawing boardmay be adjusted to various angular positions suitable to conditions oflighting and terrain.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide animproved combination of a drawing board with facilities for carryingessential artists supplies, such as a palette, drawing paper or canvasand detached easel legs, which board may be attached to various types offolding easels and transported therewith from place to place at theconvenience of an artist, without detaching the drawing board from theeasel.

Another object of this invention is to provide a combined drawing boardand portfolio for the purpose mentioned of simple and inexpensiveconstruction, and easily attachable to an easel.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combinationeasel, having removable legs, drawing board and portfolio in which theportfolio is adapted to carry all essential artists supplies, includingthe easel legs.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedfoldable easel of simple, efficient and inexpensive construction withwhich a drawing board attached thereto may be adjusted to various anglesin frontal and sidewise directions.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent fromthe following specification and reference to the accompanying drawingsforming a part thereof, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective of one embodiment of my invention, showing theeasel assembled and with the drawing board angularly adjusted to aworking position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 2, but showing thecombination unit in transporting conditions, with the legs removed fromthe easel;

Fig. 4 is a rear view of the combined unit as shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings in which like numerals designate like parts inthe several views, the combined drawing board and portfolio comprises arectangular frame 10 which is closed at one end 12 and open at its otherend 14, as more clearly shown in Fig. 6. A drawing board 16 is securedto one face of the frame by screws 18, or other suitable means, and acover 20 is secured to the opposite face of the frame also by screws 18or other suitable means. The drawing board 16 may be made of plywood orother suitable material, whereas the cover is preferably made ofwaterproof, flexible material, such, for example, as that used forconvertible automobile tops, although various other materials such asplywood can be used if desired. This construction forms a narrow space22 between the back of the drawing board 16 and the cover 20, and withinthe inner walls of the frame 10.

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The space 22 is closed at one end as shown at 12 and open at itsopposite end 14. A flap 24, which also may be made of flexible material,is secured at one end by tacks 26 or other suitable fastening means tothe back of the drawing board 16. This flap lies between the sidemembers of the frame 10 and is of sufficient length to enclose the openend 14 of the space 22 and to provide an overlapping portion having snapfasteners 28 for detachably securing the flap to the cover or wall 20.The structure described forms a portfolio suitable for carrying apalette, drawing papers, canvas and paintings, and affords protection tosuch supplies. Attached to the back of cover 20 are two pockets 30 whichalso may be made of flexible material and sewed at 32 to the cover 20.These pockets are designed to carry paint brushes, detached easel legsand other loose articles.

The portfolio is provided with a holder 34 which preferably has a lowerclamp or rest 36 and a cooperating upper clamp 40 which is slidablealong the slot 38 in the holder to secure the portfolio and its drawingboard surface in place. A bolt 42 extends through the slot 38 and has ahead 46 and a wing nut 48 which serve to secure the clamp in anyadjusted position for gripping the portfolio.

The rear of the holder 34 is provided with a pair of spaced brackets 50by which the portfolio and holder may be pivotally mounted in variousadjusted positions to insure proper lighting and convenient location ofthe drawing board surface. The mounting means illustrated include a basemember 54 formed with recesses 56 into which legs may be inserted by ascrew connection or with a force fit to provide a suitable support forthe easel. The upper portion of the base member 54 is formed with ashoulder to present an upper flat surface and a lower flat surface 73designed to cooperate with the oppositely bevelled surfaces 72 of aconnecting member 60. A bolt 66 extends through the upwardly projectingportion of the shouldered base 54 and the downwardly projecting portionof connecting member 60 to permit tilting of the drawing board sidewaysabout the bolt from one limiting position to another as determined bythe angular inclination of the surfaces 78. A wing nut 68 on the bolt 66serves to hold the connecting member 60, holder 34 and drawing board inany laterally tilted position to which they may be adjusted.

In a similar manner the upper portion of the connecting member 60 isformed with inclined surfaces 76 for engagement with the lower surfaceof the holder 34 to limit tilting movement of the drawing board about abolt 62 which passes through the connecting member and the spacedbrackets 50 on the holder. A wing nut 64 serves to secure the drawingboard in any tilted position to which it may be moved. The bolts 62 and66 are positioned at right angles to each other and therefore afforduniversal movement of the drawing board within the limits permitted bythe angular surfaces 76 and 78 on the connecting member whichrespectively engage the lower surface of holder 34 and the surfaces 70and 72 of the base member 54 as stop means.

The portfolio assembly and easel support thus provided are readilydemountable for ease in transportation and reassembly. A handle 52 iscarried by the portfolio and as shown is preferably located on or nearthe rearwardly projecting brackets 50 on the holder 34. The legs 58 aredetachable from the base member 54 and these as well as brushes, paintsand other equipment may be conveniently stored in pockets 30 forcarrying the disassembled easel.

When the site is reached for painting or sketching the legs are attachedto the base 54 and the drawing board is tilted to the desired positionfor proper lighting and convenience. The thumb nuts 64 and 68 aretightened in place to secure the portfolio in place with the drawingboard at the proper angle. The drawing board itself is secured in placeon the holder 34 by means of the clamps 36 and 40. If a sketch ordrawing is only partly finished it may be removed and placed in theportfolio space 22 and another sheet or canvas can be applied to thedrawing board. In the alternative, a different drawing board ofconventional or portfolio type can be substituted on the holder byrelease and readjustment of the clamp on the holder 34. Thus, theassembly is capable of the greatest flexibility in use and a smalldrawing board can be slipped within a larger portfolio carrier andsubstituted on the holder to complete an unfinished work or to produce anew drawing or painting.

Figs. 1 and 2 show the combination drawing board, portfolio and easelset up for work, and it will be readily seen that the drawing surfacecan be angularly adjusted in a frontal or a sidewise direction, and alsothat the board is shown at its limit of adjustment forwardly. However,it can be adjusted rearwardly to a reverse angle corresponding to thatshown in Figs. 1 and 2, and the board may also be clamped in a levelposition, if desired. Removable legs of different lengths may befurnished as desired by users.

Various changes may be made in the detailed con struction of mycombination drawing, portfolio and easel within the spirit and scope ofmy invention and it should be understood that the embodiment of myinvention shown and described is intended to be illustrative only andnot limited to such details of construction.

I claim:

An easel comprising a drawing board support formed with an elongatedslot adjacent the upper end thereof and having an outwardly projectingportion adjacent the lower end of said support, a clamp member securedto said support adjacent said slot and adjustable along the length ofsaid slot to retain a drawing board between said outwardly projectingportion and said clamp, 21 pair of spaced parallel flanges projectingrearwardly from said support, a connecting member pivotally secured tosaid flanges to permit forward and rearward tilting of said drawingboard support, said connecting member being formed with a pair ofupwardly converging surfaces meeting in a line extending transversely ofsaid support and engageable with said support whereby said surfacesprovide abutments to limit the forward and rearward tilting movement ofsaid support, means for securing said support to said connecting memberin a desired position, a base member pivotally secured to saidconnecting member to permit sideward tilting of said drawing boardsupport, said connecting member having a pair of downwardly convergingsurfaces meeting in a line extending axially of said support andengageable with said base member whereby said surfaces provide abutmentsto limit the sideward travel of said support, means for securing saidconnecting member to said base member in a desired position, said basemember being provided with a plurality of downwardly opening inclinedrecesses, and a plurality of removable legs engageable with saidrecesses to maintain the easel in an upright position,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS278,116 Fisher May 22, 1883 352,358 Scherer Nov. 9, 1886 979,070 HoifmanDec. 20, 1910 1,496,465 Jackson June 3, 1924 1,751,368 Swift Mar. 18,1930 1,753,760 White Apr. 8, 1930 2,064,232 Tepper Dec. 15, 19362,414,183 Wolf Ian. 14, 1947 2,550,550 Goodstein -2 Apr. 24, 19512,583,532 Havens Ian. 29, 1952 2,586,097 Scheu Feb. 19, 1952

